Boiler soot cleaner



March 27, 1928. 1,663,851

F. w. LINAKER ET AL BOILER SOOT CLEANER Filed Sept. 25, 1923 2Sheets-Sheet 1 nn Ill March 27, 1928. 1,663,851

F. w. LlNAKER ET AL BOILER 500T CLEANER Filed Sept. 25, 1923 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR" M M By Attorneys, 6mm r Ynovwlg Patented Mar.27, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK W. LINAKER AND THEODORE M. BRUIBACK, F DU BOIS, PENNSYLVANIA.

BOILER SCOT CLEANER.

This invention relates to boiler soot cleaners of the type having arotatable or oscillatable tube called the cleaner element for conveyingsteam or other cleaning fluid. such tube commonly being provided withjet nozzles for directing jets of such fluid agalnst or among the boilertubes. Such rot-atlve elements, when located low enough to be withinreach, are commonly turned by a hand wheel or handle on the end outsidethe boiler setting; or when. located so high as to be out of reach, theyusually carry a sheave wheel over which-passes a chain extending down towhere it may be grasped by the attendant; or in other cases a ratchetwheel is provided, which is turned by a pawl on a lever which is rockedby means of a chain or other connection extending down within reach ofthe operator. The best results are secured by an intermittent rotationof the element by mechanism of the ratchet type, whereby between theadvancing impulses the jets remain stationary for a short time so as toenable them to do their cleaning work more thoroughly than when merelyswung through a given are.

The present invention provides an 1mproved mechanism whereby the cleanerelement may be rotated intermittently. In

its preferred embodiment it is adapted to turn the element in eitherdirection, so that the jets may be swung through an are from a givenstarting point to a given stopping point and back again, so as toconfine their operation to that sweep whlch alone is effective forcleaning the b01161 tubes.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, of which Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view;

Fig. 2 is an end view, with the cover plate of the valve casing removed,as seen from the line II-H Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line III-III Fig. 1.

Fig

4: is a horizontal sectional view through the lower part of theconstruction shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectionalview on the line V-V Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view showing ratchet bar, stop means.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line VI--VI Fig. 1, and

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view on line VTTVII Fig. 4..

Referring to the drawings, A, Fig. 1 is a portion of the boiler setting,B is the usual sleeve set therein, and B is a cap thereon. W'it-hin thesleeve and cap the cleaner element C is mounted, so as to be able torotate in the manner well understood. This element commonly projectsinto the boiler and among the boiler tubes, and is provided with nozzlesat intervals from which jets of steam may be directed against or amongthe boiler tubes. The front or outer end of the element C projectsthrough a. stuffing box D into a casing or head E to which steam isadmitted through a supply pipe F. The valve for controlling theadmission of steam into the element may conveniently be located withinthe head E, or may be elsewhere applied, as may be desired in anyindividual case.

A supporting frame G is fastened to any suitable stationary part. Thisframe G is conveniently made of plates g and 9, connected by arms 9 theplate 9 having an annular portion engaging the head E, as by embracinga. boss on the latter, and being fastened by tap screws, while the plateg supports the element C through an antifriction bearing g'. The frame Gprovides the bearing for a rotary shaft L on which is fixed a pinion Mwhich meshes with a gear N fixed on the tubular element C. A setscrew11. serves for fastening the gear N to the element.

The shaft L has fixed thereon a ratchet wheel O, and on each sidethereof, on the shaft L, are the hubs p and g of two oppositely arrangedratchet levers P and Q, having the spring-pressed pawls p, g thereonadapted to engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel O in oppositedirections.

Between the levers P and Q there is arranged a projection or block R onthe supporting frame G and having stops r, r thereon coacting with stops7*, r on the lever P, and stops 7*, r" on the lever Q, for limiting thethrow or movement of these levers.

The levers P and Q, are normally pressed to an initial position (seeFig. 2), and for this purpose a spring S is provided wound around theshaft L and has its two ends 8 8 connected to the levers P and Q, asindicated at s, s, the reaction of the spring being to draw the twolevers together with 'case, the lever Q would be first the stops rthereon against the shoulders 1' 1 of t e block R.

Projectin from the block R in the path of the paw s p, g, are twocam-pro ections or horns 1 1", and Q are in initial position Fig. 2)hold the pawls p, g thereon out o engagement with the teeth of theratchet 0, allowing these pawls to engage said teeth, however, when oneor other of said levers is moved away from its initial position, asshown in Fig. 5.

It is generally desirable to provlde for stopping the rotation of theelement after it has turned through a given are, in order that theoperator may then be compelled to reverse its direction and cause itsjets to swing backwardly through the same-arc.

This is because in most installations the jets" are efiective duringonly a limited part of an entire revolution, so that to perform theremainder of the revolution would be a waste of time and steam. In suchcases it is desirable to provide adjustable means for limiting therotative movement of the ele ment. Such means are shown in Figs. 1 and6, where Y is an adjustable stop piece fastened to the gear wheel N bymeans of a bolt or screw y. The stop piece Y has pins 3 3 projectingfrom it, which enter holes 3 formed in the wheel N, the bolt g goingthrou h an intermediate hole. The holes y and t e spacing of the pins ghave such angular relation as to enable the stop piece Y to be setaround step by step in any suitable succession of angular positions towhich it may be set in the original installation and adjustment of theapparatus. The stop piece Y strikes a part of the shaft L, but it maystrike any other suitable part for performing its stopping function. Asshown in Fig. 6, it will permit nearly an entire revolution of theelement; to confine the element to some lesser are, two stop pieces Ymay be employed, a second one being indicated in dotted lines at Y.

Operation: The initial position of the parts, with the valve Econtrolling the admission of cleaning fluid to the'element C closed, isillustrated in Fig. 2. To operate the mechanism to clean the boilertubes, the workman pulls on one or the other of the chains attached tothe ratchet levers, P or Q (which ever may be necessary to turn theparts in the proper direction). In this ulled. This would cause thespring, presse pawl g thereon to slide off of the cam-projection r, andto engage one of the teeth on the ratchet wheel 0. Movement of the leverQ would turn the ratchet wheel 0 to the extent permitted b the stops r",r thereon in relatlon to the s oulders r, r on the block B. As hereshown a single pull on one of the ratchet levers P or Q effects arotation of which when the levers P about 45 of the ratchet wheel 0. Theratchet wheclO being fast on the shaft L, turns the latter, and this inturn rotates the pinion M in mesh with the gear N fixed to the elementC. As the gear N is of considerably greater diameter than that of thepinion- M, a rotation of 45 of the pinion M would effect a considerablyless degree of rotation of the gear N and the element C turned thereby.For example, each pull of a ratchet lever might be designed to effect arotation of about 5 of the gear N and element 0, so that to turn theelement C through an arc of 135 would require 27 pulls or operations -ofone of the ratchet levers. The operation of the ratchet levers throughthe gears M and N therefore effects a comparatively slow and relativelysteady or uniform rotation of the element. The mechanism thereby compelsor imposes upon the workman a mode of operating the cleaner elementwhich is independent of his skill or instructions for operating thecleaning mechanism, and insures the thorough and effective cleaning ofthe tube system in the zone cared for by the element 0 erated, and bychoosing a proper ratio etween the pinion on the ratchet wheel shaft andthe gear on the element, a rate of turning of the element best suited ingeneral practice for the cleaning of the tube system and an economicaluse of steam, may be closely approximated.

After each pull of a ratchet lever, upon releasing the chain, it isrestored to initial position by the spring S.

The degree of rotation of the element C may be controlled by the stop orstops Y, Y.

The construction is preferably arranged for reverse operation. \Vhensoarranged, when the workman finds that the mechanism is stopped when hecontinues the intermittent pulling on one lever, he then grasps thechainattached to the opposite ratchet lever (the ratchet lever P in thesequence pertaining to the structure illustrated) and begins repeatedlyulling upon said opposite ratchet lever. This operates in the samemanner as the other ratchet lever, but in an opposite direction, to turnthe ratchet wheel 0, and this through the shaft L, pinion M and gear Npulls the element C intermittently in the reverse direction.

The movement of the element C in the opposite direction may becontrolled b the stops Y, Y, on the gear N, or, as here s own, theconstruction of the valve in the casing E may be such as to limit thereverse movement of the element, and when the element reaches the limitof its reverse movement, admission of cleaning fluid to the element iscut off, and the cleaning completed.

The present invention provides a very simple and inexpensiveconstruction for imparting the desired intermittent rotation to thecleaner element. The device is appli to the other chain forintermittently rotating the element back to its starting point; thisoperation may be repeated if found necessary for efiective cleaning.

The valve in the' casing E illustrated hereln, and the combination ofsuch valve broadly with means for automatically opening andclosing it bythe. same means which are used for turning the element, is not claimedherein, but is claimed in another of our applications, to 'wit:ourapplication Serial No. 641,149, filed May 24, 1923.

v The combination-of a step by step mechanlsm for turning the cleanerelement with means for automatically opening and closing the valve isdescribed and claimed in our appllcation No. 634,524, filed April 25,1923.

The invention ma receive other embodiments than that hereln specificallyillustrated and described, within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is a 1. A soot cleaner com rising an element adapted toproject jets o cleaning fluid into a bank of boiler tubes, means forintermittently turning said elementin either direc- -t1on, sald meanscomprising ratchet levers co-axially pivoted carrying pawls, a ratchetwheel operativel connected to said element and adapted to engaged byeither pawl when its lever" is actuated, and a frame supporting saidratchet levers and wheel, and

carrying a stop, each of said levers being provided at its hub portionwith two shoul-,

ders integrally formedv therewith and adapted to engage said stopwhereby their motion in either direction is limited to a definite am; yI 2. A soot cleaner comgarising an element adapted toproject jets ocljeamng fluid into a bank of tubes, means for' intermittently turningsaid element, and a reduction gearing between said turning means andsaid element adapted to impose on said turningmeans' a'relatively slowintermittent tuming of said element, said means comprising ratchetlevers, adapted to operate 1n opposite directions, a pawl on each lever,a ratchet wheel adapted to be engaged bysaid pawls, and a cam forlifting eac pawl out of engagement with said ratchet wheel on its returnmovement. a

3. A soot cleaner comprising an element adapted to project jets'ofcleaning fluid into a bank of tubes, means for intermittently turningsaid element, and a reduction earing between said turning means and saielement adapted to impose. on said turning means a relatively slowintermittent turnlng of said element, said means comprising ratchetlevers, adapted to operate in opposite directions, a awl on each lever,a ratchet wheel adapte to be engaged by said pawls,

a cam for lifting each pawl out of engageing between said turning meansand saidelement adapted to impose on said turning means a relativelyslow lntermittent turning of said element, said means comprising ratchetlevers, adapted to operate in opposite directions, a pawl on each lever,a

ratchet wheel adapted to be engaged by said pawls, a cam for liftingeach pawl out of engagement with said ratchet wheel on its returnmovement, and spring meansfor r eturnin 'said levers after eachoperation, and

means eing a single coil spring attached at its ends to said levers.

In witness whereof, we signed our names.

.FREDERICK W. LINAKER. THEODORE M. BRUBACK;

have hereunto

